UNDER Ange Postecoglou's guidance, Brisbane Roar became the most successful club in the A-League's short history.

Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have both won two championships and Victory has played in three grand finals, but neither of those clubs ever put together the sort of undefeated streak that the Roar did under Postecoglou - 36 games.

Neither Victory nor Sydney has ever played with the panache or style that the Queenslanders achieved in the two complete seasons when the former South Melbourne boss and Socceroo defender was at the helm at Suncorp Stadium.

He, and Brisbane, have grown content, but not complacent, on the compliments.

But did Postecoglou leave a lasting legacy for soccer in the Sunshine State?

Did he set a standard in achievement and style that will become a template for future Roar teams?

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Or was he a one-off whose accomplishments might ultimately contribute more to his own legend than that of the club he was in charge of for 2½ years?

As a student of soccer history and its battle to establish itself as a mainstream sport in this country - which it has been doing ever since he took up the game - he knows the importance of building a tradition and a narrative of success against which others can be benchmarked.

''I guess time will tell,'' he said when asked about his legacy. ''I certainly tried to build and leave something there. You can have success for its own sake, but I think everyone who reflected on that time spoke as much about the way we played as about our winning record.

''I think that we changed how the game could be played and should be played, and people's ideas of those things, here in Australia. We concentrated on retaining possession, of playing out from the back, of having more passes than anyone else, and that was different.

''It was hard for people to accept that, there were doubters, and you are going against the traditional mentality of the game here where you kick it long if you are under pressure. There's nothing wrong with that, or playing directly. But you can't do both.''

While crowds during Roar's Postecoglou era were OK, they could have been better. Should he be able to get Melbourne Victory playing with the Roar's style and success, it should be able to average more than 25,000 spectators a game.

''We were building the fan base but our success coincided with a bad time for the A-League [with clubs folding and conflict between owners and Football Federation Australia] and we did often find it a battle,'' Postecoglou said. ''There was a lot of turmoil and it probably didn't help us to capitalise on the opportunities.

''I did have to rebuild the club and change the culture. I got rid of a lot of well-known players [most prominently Craig Moore, Danny Tiatto and Charlie Miller] and when things weren't going well I had to endure a lot of criticism.

''But I think I brought forward some young players and helped them develop. Players like Matty McKay, Kosta Barbarouses, Mitch Nichols, Luke de Vere, Erik Paartalu - while Michael Theoklitos' career was in the dustbin when I brought him back from England.

''Is there a legacy? It depends on whether my successors continue with that style, play with that culture, I suppose.''

Nick Meredith, who played for several seasons in the NSL with Brisbane Strikers and is now a Queensland-based Fox Sports commentator, said Postecoglou's influence on the local game was profound.

''It's been as big as anyone I can remember,'' the former midfielder said. ''Like most people here I was disappointed that he left because we all felt there was more to do and he could have taken the club to greater heights.

''But even in the short time he was here I would say he helped bring the game to a wider audience and built support. It's a difficult market here with NRL, AFL, rugby union, but thanks to the success he had Roar is now part of the mainstream fabric of sport in south-east Queensland.

''Certainly his winning record helped, but I also think the style the Roar played with was important and I think it did change people's perception of the game. I think a lot of people who ignored it or said they only watched European football became drawn to the A-League because of that possession, passing football Roar had.

''He was also on the front foot in the local media to defend the game if there was ever an issue that needed to be debated or explained. That was important when we had some bad things - like the Gold Coast collapse - going on for the sport.''

Miron Bleiberg is a former Roar and Gold Coast coach who believes that the unbeaten streak put together by Postecoglou ''will not be repeated for at least a decade''.

''You could not ask for more than what he achieved. He won two championships playing great football, they did the right things and got the luck when they needed it,'' Bleiberg said.

''I am not sure he created a legacy but only because he wasn't there for 10 to 15 years. It's hard to create a lengthy impression when you are there for two years, but he achieved great things in his short time in Queensland.''